Page 13 of Secrets of the Lore Keepers
“I hope, for your sake, that is true.” Kian moved closer, his fingertips grazing my arm as he turned me to face him. “Rae, we must prepare. Regardless. But I wanted to say thank you.”
I gave him a rueful smile. “You’ve said thanks many times. It is enough.”
He shook his head. “It was your voice I heard in the storm. You were beside me, pulling me back to life with your words. I believe you about intent, about the strength and power of words, even if you don’t believe you carry magic. I think you do, and it’s that magic that saved me.”
Words. What words had I said? “I’m glad you heard me, but I gave you a healing potion to bring you back.”
“I’m sure it wasn’t easy to make, but it was enough and so my thanks are with you.”
I noticed he said nothing of my sister.
He leaned forward until his breath almost brushed my lips and all the rush went out of me as he kissed the corner of my mouth. It was unexpected, surprising yet pleasant. My eyes closed as I relished that kiss. When he pulled back, it was as if he’d taken all the warmth out of the air.
I touched two fingers to the corner of my mouth, where it tingled from his caress. “What was that for?” I asked, a comfortable buzzing in the center of my belly.
Instead of smiling, his eyes were shadowed and his voice husky as he spoke. “I’ve searched for a woman like you my entire life. What I did not realize was I’d need to leave my home, leave the wildwood to find you. Not only are you beautiful, but you are strong, resilient, and kind. Even though I’ve come with honorable intentions, I want to help you, to see your land saved because of you. And when this is over, I will ask for permission to court you, for I sense you have weathered many storms, and your very presence makes me wish to stay by your side. You say you don’t have magic, but, Rae, you’ve enchanted me.”
My stomach flip-flopped and for once words did not come readily to my lips. Stunned, I watched him slip away and pressed a hand to my heart as he disappeared into the barn. I played his words over in my head until guilt overrode my initial joy. How could I be happy that Kian returned my feelings for him when evil was approaching out doorstep?
Slipping back inside, I paused as Maraini lined up the lighting jars on the table. My brows furrowed. “What are you doing? And why is Kian going to the barn?”
She flicked a braid onto her back. “We have to prepare, don’t we? If we are attacked there is little in the house to defend ourselves with, but I recall that Papa used to keep a bow and arrow in the barn for hunting. Kian is going to search for it and retrieve the knife.”
Shivering, I crossed my arms and rubbed my shoulders. “I don’t like this,” I murmured. “It seems so sudden after all these years. Why now?”
Maraini sighed and sank into a chair, covering her face with her hands briefly. “Why now? Can’t you guess? We are at our weakest. If Mama and Papa were here, they’d know what to do.”
I rose on my tiptoes and then back down on the balls of my feet. “They’d only know what to do because they read it in a book. Where did Mama keep the annuals?”
Maraini reached for a lantern and lit it. “I think we’d better have a look at that book in the cellar.”
Reluctantly, I followed her, twisting my curls around my fingers. The door to the cellar was toward the back of the house, down a hall with a set of stairs leading down. Maraini dragged open the heavy door, and I followed, my nose assaulted by the musty scent of mud and old vegetables. How long had it been since we cleaned out the cellar? I hated going down there, imagining rats and other creepy crawlers moving across the mud and digging between the stones in the wall. But the cellar was where we kept our winter stores, and even as I walked down the creaking steps, the coolness of the air swept over me.
Maraini hung the lantern at the bottom of the staircase. I paused beside her. The room was a sizeable square, running perhaps the length of the house. Stone columns were built into the cellar with shelves on either side, holding more food than Maraini and I could possibility eat in a year. Some of it was old and rotten, sprouting and growing dark vines that entwined around the stone, forcing it to crumble and surrender to new life.
With a sigh, Maraini weaved around them to the back of the cellar, to the wide trunk that had been shoved against the wall. The latch was thick with rust. Regardless, I lifted the lid without issue and pushed it back against the wall.
A smattering of moths rose, and a squeak left my lips as I waved my hands to brush them away. Kneeling, I unfolded the moth-eaten blankets and pulled out the thick, dusty tome. A shiver went through me again, as though someone other than Maraini watched me. I glanced over my shoulder, but there was nothing but blackness. Was there truly a sleeping goddess? If so, it was easy to imagine her in the cellar.
“Why is this book down here and not with the others?” I whispered, for the very aura of the place made me afraid to speak out loud.
“I always assumed so that no one would read it.” Maraini shrugged and held out her hands.
I blew across it and scrubbed at the dirt with my dress before handing it to my sister. It was musty, and the edges had been nibbled on. Curses on the rats. I hoped they hadn’t eaten the most important part of the book.
The pitter-patter of feet made me jump, and I spun around, eyes wide. “Let’s get out of here.” I moved toward the stairs. “This place gives me the creeps.”
Heart thumping, I led the way out of the cellar and slammed the door shut, thankful for the warmth of sunlight.
“While you research,” I announced. “I’m going to mix some ingredients for explosives.”
Maraini narrowed her eyes at me. “Explosives? Are you trying to blow up the house?”
“Nay.” I rubbed my hands together. “I’ve always wanted to try my hand at such things. Nothing big, just little balls we can hurl should intruders come this way.”
“Don’t you want to look at the book with me?” Maraini begged.
I saw what she was doing, trying to discourage me. I rubbed my hands together and peered over her shoulder. The book was thick, and when Maraini lay it on the table, a plume of dust rose. I backed away, waving my hand and coughing. The symbol on the front of the cover caught my eye, and I reached out a hand to touch it. Silver dust came away and the very air shivered as I touched it.
